Weather

We just got home from IHOP - our usual meal Wed nights after church. It is so cold tonight, I just put a blanket on my bed. I usually just sleep with a comforter, and not a very warm one. Yes, winter has come to Tucson. At least for the next few days. I think it is supposed to be in the 30's tonight. Of course next week it might be warm again. I kind of like being able to wear a sweater - or tonight, a jacket.

Yesterday I subbed for a resource teacher - which is the job I held for the last fifteen years of my teaching career. At this particular elementary school - which is the only one I sub at - I saw a total of about 15 students, ranging from 2nd grade to 5th. I saw them in groups of two to one group of 6. When I retired I had about 30 students in my program and had 3 large groups in the morning and a group a little smaller after lunch. Our school went through sixth grade. The resource program is a part of special education. It is for students with learning disabilities that are not so severe that they need a full day or self-contained classroom program. The goal of the program is to try to get the student's skills up enough to not need the program - so general education teachers work hard to get a student qualified for special education then it was my job to get them out. Some students will always need that extra help, but some don't. We had a teacher once that had been in a resource program when she was in elementary school - but both of her parents were teachers. One of my former students is now a department manager in a Target store. The stories do not all have happy endings - one student that I had had from 3rd to 6th grade was killed when he was in high school by a gang member - he was taking a date home and was in the wrong part of town. Another student who I only had one year- the one year I wanted to teach in high school (big mistake)- was arrested for killing a boy who had supposedly stolen his girlfriend. This happened after he had graduated from high school. I don't know what the outcome was. I do know that he was very hard to like. He was surly and I always felt he was capable of more. Yesterday for the first time I really missed teaching - but not enough to go back full time.

Tomorrow is dentist day - only a cleaning, thank goodness. I have crooked teeth, but they are strong. Well I think I will read a few blogs and go to sleep.